How to get ready for the new RSHE guidance 2025 

In this blog, Rebecca Cant, Brook’s Product Development Manager, sets out key steps your school needs to take to get ready for the new RSHE guidance effective September 2026.  

The new RSHE government guidance published in July is the first revision since 2019. 

With two terms left until the guidance comes into effect, now is the time to start planning to ensure a smooth transition that sets you up for high-quality and effective RSHE delivery next year.

You might be feeling unsure about where to start. To help, here’s a breakdown of the steps your school can take to get ready for September.   

1. Review your current curriculum

The topics listed in the new RSHE guidance are far more comprehensive than the current version. At secondary level, the curriculum seeks to better prepare young people for their relationships in the digital world, introducing topics such as AI, sextortion, deepfakes, and online misogyny. At primary level, the expanded content focuses on helping children understand boundaries in relationships, develop digital literacy, recognise online harms, and know how to seek support from trusted adults. 

A key first step to prepare for the new guidance is reviewing your current curriculum.

Identify any gaps in what you already cover so you know which topics you’ll need to develop ahead of September.  

The guidance also emphasises consulting with pupils in the delivery and development of the RSHE curriculum. If pupil voice isn’t yet a formal part of how you deliver RSHE, start by exploring ways you can gather feedback now. This will help ensure next year’s curriculum is delivering effective RSHE that meets pupils where they’re at. 

You can find more guidance on this in our course, How to Deliver RSE. 

2. Develop new lessons

After identifying the changes needed to bring your curriculum in line with the new guidance, the next step is to integrate them for the next academic year. 

It’s important at this stage that any insights gained through pupil voice are reflected in the new curriculum. For example, many young people tell Brook that they are tired of learning the same basic messages about consent, which they feel are being repeated year on year. They tell us they want to learn more about things like how to tell if a relationship is healthy, what to do if they are worried about a friend’s relationship, when the right time to have sex is, and how to manage risks and pressures.  

At Brook, we’re here to support you with delivering new topics. We deliver lessons in schools on all Relationships and Sex Education topics and will have more resources to support you in the coming months. 

Explore Brook’s education sessions 

3. Train staff to deliver topics confidently

With a more comprehensive curriculum to deliver, staff will need training to make sure they can confidently teach new topics. 

The good news is that from early 2026, schools can apply for training grants to support with teaching new content.  

At Brook we offer a range of training – from low-cost online courses that you complete in your own time like How to Deliver RSE, to group training sessions on different RSE topics.  

Explore Brook’s training offer 

4. Review your RSE policy

Your school’s RSE policy sets out how you will deliver Relationships and Sex Education and should be available on the school’s website. It will need to be updated to cover the changes that will be taking place from September 2026 as a result of the new RSHE guidance. 

This includes what topics are taught and when, how difficult questions will be answered and how you will make content accessible to all pupils including pupils with SEND. Our course, How to Deliver RSE, offers guidance on developing and reviewing your policy.  

5. Engage with parents and carers

Your school’s RSE policy should be reviewed in consultation with parents and carers. There are many ways you can involve them in this process, such as having a PSHE information table at parents’ evenings, or hosting information sessions to explain changes to the curriculum and policy. Our How to Deliver RSE course includes examples and practical tips for effective engagement.  

The new guidance makes clear that schools must enable parents to view all RSHE curriculum materials, including those delivered by external providers, on request. To prepare for this, ensure you have a clear internal process for responding to requests and sharing materials ahead of September. One practical solution is to use a secure parent portal to provide easy access to approved resources.

By starting early and taking these steps now, you will be well prepared to make sure pupils receive the high-quality RSHE they deserve. Enrol on our How to Deliver RSE course today and feel confident heading into next year.